official_pokelandfandomcom-20200214-history
Paris, Texas
Paris is a city in and the county seat of Lamar County, Texas. The population of the city is 25,171. Demographics As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the city is: 64.54% White (16,245) 23.33% Black or African American (5,872) 7.50% Hispanic or Latino (1,887) 4.64% Other (1,167) 20.3% (5,109) of Paris residents live below the poverty line. Theft rate statistics Paris has average rates of Pokemon theft and murder. The city reported 10 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 1.32 murders a year. Pokemon See the Lamar County page for more info. Fun facts * Following a tradition of American cities named "Paris", the city commissioned a 65-foot (20 m) replica of the Eiffel Tower in 1993 and installed it on site of the Love Civic Center, southeast of the town square. In 1998, presumably as a response to the 1993 construction of a 60-foot (18 m) tower in Paris, Tennessee, the city placed a giant red cowboy hat atop its tower. The current Eiffel Tower replica is at least the second one; an earlier replica constructed of wood was later destroyed by a tornado. * Paris is deeply segregated and race relations in Paris have a bloody history and are deeply polarized, turbulent, and sometimes explosive. While the issues are nowhere near what they were throughout the early and mid-20th century, the relations in this city aren't really good, either. ** In the late-19th and early-20th centuries, several lynchings were staged at the Paris Fairgrounds as public spectacles, with thousands of white spectators cheering as the victims were tortured and then immolated, dismembered, or otherwise murdered. Among the victims was Henry Smith, a teenager lynched in 1893. ** About 115 years later, in 2008, a black man, Brandon McClelland, was run over and dragged to death under a vehicle. Two white men were arrested, but the prosecutor cited lack of evidence and declined to press charges, and no serious subsequent attempt to find other perpetrators was made. This caused unrest in Paris' black community. Following this incident, an attempt by the United States Department of Justice Justice Community Relations Service to initiate a dialog between the races in the town ended in failure when black complaints were mostly met by silent glares. A 2009 protest rally over the case led to Texas State Police intervention to prevent groups shouting "white power!" and "black power!" from coming to blows. ** In 2007, a 14-year-old black girl was sentenced by a local judge to up to 7 years in a youth prison for shoving a hall monitor at Paris High School. Three months earlier, the same judge had sentenced a 14-year-old white girl to probation for arson. This sentencing disparity occasioned nationwide controversy and the African-American girl was released after serving one year on orders of a special conservator appointed by the State of Texas to investigate problems with the state's juvenile-justice practices. ** In 2015, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruled after an investigation that black workers at the Sara Lee Corporation plant in Paris (closed in 2011) were deliberately disproportionately exposed to asbestos, black mold, and other toxins, and also were targets of racial slurs and racist graffiti. ** Some Paris residents deny that the town has a race-relations problem, and believe a misconception is going on. Whether or not that's the case is known, and accounts from visitors vary. However, the city's history with racial issues should not deter anyone from wanting to visit Paris for any reason. * The city is home to several late-19th to mid-20th century stately homes. Among these is the Rufus Fenner Scott Mansion, designed by German architect J.L. Wees and constructed in 1910. The structure is solid concrete and steel with four floors. Rufus Scott was a prominent businessman known for shipping, imports, and banking. He was well known by local farmers, who bought aging transport mules from him. The Scott Mansion narrowly survived the fire of 1916. After the fire, Scott brought the architect Wees back to Paris to redesign the historic downtown area. * Paris has long been a railroad center. The Texas and Pacific reached town in 1876; the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway (later merged into the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway) and the Frisco in 1887; the Texas Midland Railroad (later Southern Pacific) in 1894; and the Paris and Mount Pleasant (Pa-Ma Line) in 1910. Paris Union Station, built 1912, served Frisco], Santa Fe, and Texas Midland passenger trains until 1956. Today, the station is used by the Lamar County Chamber of Commerce and serves as the research library for the Lamar County Genealogical Society. * Lamar County was one of the 18 Texas counties that voted against secession on February 23, 1861. * In 1877, 1896, and 1916, major fires in the city forced considerable rebuilding. The 1916 fire destroyed almost half the town and caused an estimated $11 million in property damage. The fire ruined most of the central business district and swept through a residential area. The burned structures included the Federal Building and Post Office, the Lamar County Courthouse and Jail, City Hall, most commercial buildings, and several churches. * In the past, Paris was a major cotton exchange, and the county was developed as cotton plantations. While cotton is still farmed on the lands around Paris, it is no longer a major part of the economy. * Following a tradition of American cities named "Paris", the city commissioned a 65-foot (20 m) replica of the Eiffel Tower in 1993 and installed it on site of the Love Civic Center, southeast of the town square. In 1998, presumably as a response to the 1993 construction of a 60-foot (18 m) tower in Paris, Tennessee, the city placed a giant red cowboy hat atop its tower. The current Eiffel Tower replica is at least the second one; an earlier replica constructed of wood was later destroyed by a tornado. * Paris has a decent amount of amenities to offer. It has dollar stores, plenty of local restaurants and businesses, a contest hall and showcase theater, a few shopping centers, a bit of auto parts places and car dealerships, Walmart, Home Depot, Nintendo World, Chili's, plenty of fast food, some hotels/motels, three sports complexes, plenty of public battle fields, Kroger, Save-A-Lot, Braum's, a golf course, a country club, a Verizon retailer, Tractor Supply Co., and a few other things. Category:Texas Cities